Turns Out The Greatest Event In Television History Is Jon Hamm And Adam Scott Recreating A Beloved ’80s Show’s Opening Credits

We’ve long wondered what project would reunite Friends with Kids co-stars Jon Hamm and Adam Scott—and when they billed their 15-minute Adult Swim special as The Greatest Event In Television History, we were dying of curiosity.

Last night, they finally revealed what was up with all the secrecy and those photos of them in green onesies — Jon with a green mustache, to boot — with a little help from Survivor host Jeff Probst.

This seminal late-night event that will be held up alongside other classic TV moments like the moon landing and Lucille Ball announcing she’s pregnant? Jon and Adam painstakingly recreated the opening credits to ’80s detective series Simon & Simon.

…Yeah, I was kinda thrown for a loop, too! I never saw the show, seeing as I was born the year before it ended, but I’ve certainly heard of it. Not that it’s honored for its theme song like, say, The Golden Girls, but recreating the opening is still a daunting task: It’s so ’80s, from the costumes to the random shots of the two guys in a hot air balloon, getting kissed by killer whales, and lots of jumping, rolling, and shooting.

Because that’s not enough, the other 10 minutes of the video are a mockumentary of the making-of process. While Jeff continues to give his hyperbolic narration, we meet misanthropic director Paul Rudd, who thinks Jon is genius but yells at Adam for screwing up the shots. Yet not even he knows why they chose Simon & Simon, of all shows.

All in all, it’s a fun throwback to over-the-top TV specials of decades past. If anything, it’s refreshing that something billed as “The Greatest Event In Television History” is actually scripted through and through, rather than a reunion show for a reality series where everyone screams to be heard, accuses each other of sex tapes and illegitimate children, and yanks weaves. Even though it’s incredibly random, the affection for Simon & Simon – and the old, lost TV era — is clear.

If you just want to watch the opening, then skip to about 8:30 and enjoy!